Cassini / HuygensOctober 15, 1997

The Cassini/Huygens spacecraft, the most ambitious
effort in planetary space exploration ever mounted, launches on
a 6 1/2 year journey to Saturn. A joint endeavor between NASA, the
European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, the mission
will be the first orbiter of Saturn. It will study the planetary
system for four years.

The Huygens probe will be released from Cassini
and parachute through the atmosphere to the surface of Saturn's
largest and most interesting moon, Titan, which is
shrouded by an opaque atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere includes organic
compounds, leading scientists to believe that the moon may be like
a frozen vault of conditions similar to those on Earth before life
began. The Cassini orbiter will also use imaging radar to map Titan's
surface.